11 Iowa Towns With A Slower Pace Of Life
Iowa's easier rhythm shows up in small towns shaped by quiet Main Streets and open farmland. Moravia sits next to 11,000-acre Rathbun Lake with boating and fishing nearby. Pella brings Dutch storefronts and tulip beds into its downtown. Winterset pairs covered bridges with its ties to John Wayne. The eleven Iowa towns ahead each have their own story but together show what makes small-town Iowa feel familiar.
Dyersville
Despite Dyersville's rise to fame after the 1989 film "Field of Dreams," life is still simple in the small town. Baseball has become the town's primary identity. The Field of Dreams Movie Site hosts exhibition games every summer. The Ghost Players are the main draw. Made up of local baseball talent, the team wears retro uniforms and brings the movie to life by stepping out of the corn before taking the field. The field hosts youth baseball, softball, and a senior baseball league. The "If You Build It" exhibit is a unique museum dedicated to the making of the popular film.
Baseball aside, Dyersville has a quiet downtown area with a variety of antique shops and restaurants like Dyersville Family Restaurant and Textile Brewing Company. It also hosts the unique National Farm Toy Museum for tractor enthusiasts. The museum has a mixture of old and modern farming toys, many displayed in intricately detailed dioramas.
Spirit Lake
Spirit Lake is a small oasis in a vast sea of cornfields. The town is home to major employers like Pure Fishing and an Indian Motorcycle factory. However, like those businesses, life here revolves around the area's endless recreational opportunities. The waters that surround Spirit Lake have earned the area the nickname, "The Great Lakes of Iowa." There are three lakes popular with boaters and anglers. East and West Okoboji Lakes sit to the south, and Big Spirit Lake sits north of town.
Excellent beaches are available at Gull Point and Pikes Point State Parks. Elinor Bedell State Park hosts a series of hiking trails. Dickinson County continues to build additions to the nearby Tatanka Ska Trace rail-to-trail bike path. It currently offers 37 miles of paved concrete for cyclists and joggers.
Riverside
Life in Riverside runs so quietly that the main drag through town doesn't have a single stoplight. It is a farming community common to Iowa. However, the town has a twist. It is the "future birthplace" of Captain James Tiberius Kirk from the TV show "Star Trek." Series lore dictates he will be born in Iowa in 2233. Riverside self-proclaimed itself Kirk's hometown and ran hard with it. Trek logos and images appear on the town's banners and street signs. There is even a stone monument proclaiming it as Kirk's birthplace next to city hall.
The Voyage Home Museum features many props from the series and movies. Across the street, a gleaming, bronze statue of Kirk himself stands in Railroad Park. Every year the town hosts Trek Fest. This event brings in a special guest actor or two from the shows.
The town has a flat and easy rail-to-trail path for hiking or biking. Outside of town, the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort adds a bit more excitement if things get too quiet.
Clear Lake
Clear Lake is a hybrid of farming and lakeside community rolled into one. Main Avenue is lined with the small shops and restaurants typical of a Midwest town. The road literally runs straight to a boat ramp into Clear Lake. Life here revolves around water and music.
In 1959, rock and roll legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper died in a plane crash here. The famous crash became known as "The Day the Music Died" and happened only minutes after their final show. The crash site is a few miles outside of town and serves as a memorial. This bit of history is somber, but the music didn't completely die in Clear Lake. The Surf Ballroom, where they last played, still hosts live music events.
Clear Lake offers something for film fans, too. The historic Lake Theater is over 100 years old and still active. The town also shows movies in the park every Thursday from June through August.
LeClaire
Life in LeClaire moves about as fast as the slow waters of the Mississippi River on the town's east side. Despite a prime location, it's never grown above a population of 5,000. This town is famous for two things separated by over a century of history. Their recent fame came as the home of the "American Pickers." Their shop, Antique Archeology, offers an array of antiques and show-themed merchandise.
Long before the show, LeClaire was famous for being the birthplace of Buffalo Bill Cody. It still hosts a full museum on the banks of the Mississippi River. This museum also contains a steamboat exhibit.
Speaking of an unhurried pace, take a chug up the Mississippi on a steamboat. Riverboat Twilight offers cruises on select dates from May until October. Late winter and early spring also bring an influx of eagles to LeClaire. Lock and Dam 14 is one of the prime viewing areas for these great birds.
Iowa Falls
The Iowa River cuts a winding path through this quiet, small town. Years of erosion have exposed limestone cliffs and even waterfalls. It is the type of terrain and scenery that's rare to find in this state. There are plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities, with the river serving as a popular spot for recreational boaters and pontoon cruising. Additional water recreation is offered at the public pool in the Myer Municipal Aquatic Center.
The town has more than half a dozen parks in the city limits. Most have beautiful views of the river. The Iowa River Trail and Rock Run Creek trails are perfect for bikers and joggers. Iowa Falls also has two nine-hole golf courses: Meadow Hills and Highland Golf Club.
Moravia
Moravia may be small, but its quiet village life is balanced by easy access to one of southern Iowa's biggest outdoor draws. The town center serves its 600 residents with just a few businesses: a library, a small general store, a hair salon, and a bar. There are also three small parks within the village limits. Just outside town, 11,000-acre Rathbun Lake brings in boaters, anglers, hikers, and campers. The Army Corps of Engineers maintains the dam facilities and manages six parks around the lake, complete with boat launches and hiking trails.
The lake is home to Honey Creek State Park, which is filled with wildlife. It has a large resort and a marina operated by the state. It is on the lake's northern shore. Boaters can also get services and rent a slip at the privately owned Rathbun Lake Marina on the east side. The Iowa DNR operates the 125-acre Rathbun OHV park on the lake's west side. This former abandoned quarry is the perfect play area for dirt bike, ATV, and UTV riders.
Pella
Pella is a community of 10,000 residents with a quiet Main Street that feels familiar to anyone who knows the Midwest. What sets it apart is how proudly it celebrates its Dutch roots. Windmills, tulip beds, and Dutch-inspired storefronts shape the look of downtown and its city parks. Local businesses like Cranberry Stone and Jaarsma Bakery add to the town's distinctive character.
Downtown Pella is also home to the Opera House, Wijn House Winery, and Pella Hometown Variety Store. The Pella Historical Museum and Vermeer Mill offer a closer look at the town's early days. But Pella is not only about shopping and Dutch history. Just 10 minutes outside town, Lake Red Rock, Iowa's largest lake, offers excellent boating, fishing, and other outdoor recreation.
Sac City
In Sac City, the North Raccoon River brings movement, scenery, and outdoor adventure to an otherwise classic small Iowa farm town. The river winds through the heart of town and serves as a popular spot for kayaking and canoeing. This stretch is part of the North Raccoon River Water Trail, with multiple access points to launch. Along the way, paddlers pass a mix of pastureland and high cliffs, with some sections offering more challenging rapids.
Sac City has preserved history through informative signage, its Museum, and its Historic Village. The city added its own little slice of Americana by building the world's largest popcorn ball in 2016. That unique tourist attraction sits in a permanent display on Main Street. Sac City also has a full aquatic center open May through August to escape the heat of Iowa summers.
Winterset
Winterset's classic Main Street and courthouse square feel like a step back into a quieter era of small-town America. Downtown is lined with old-school businesses such as Madison Co. Mercantile, The Bakery Unlimited, and the Iowa Theater. The district surrounds the Madison County Courthouse and includes the Iowa Quilt Museum, along with the Madison County Farmers Market, which runs every Saturday from May through October.
Madison County is best known for its covered bridges, and Winterset is home to four of them: Cedar Bridge, Cutler-Donahoe Bridge, Roseman Bridge, and Hogback Covered Bridge. Visitors can see them on guided or self-guided bridge tours.
Winterset is also known as the hometown of John Wayne. The small house where he was born in 1907 still stands and is open for tours. Nearby, the John Wayne Birthplace Museum displays artifacts from his early life and long film career.
Maquoketa
Maquoketa's name hints at its deep connection to the outdoors. Roughly translated as "there are bears" from an unspecified Native American language, the name is a bit ironic since black bears disappeared from Iowa in the 1870s. Today, the town is best known for Maquoketa Caves State Park, one of the few places in Iowa where you can explore caves. The park has 13 caves and six miles of hiking trails. Other nearby outdoor areas include Joinerville Park, Ozark Wildlife Area, and Prairie Creek Recreation Area.
Maquoketa offers more than parks and wildlife. Its laid-back character comes through at Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, a summer music venue set in an old barn down a winding gravel road outside town. The venue serves alcohol and offers free primitive camping on concert nights. Maquoketa also hosts the Jackson County Fair, usually held in late July and early August, and residents can play bingo at the fairgrounds every Tuesday.
The Beauty of Low-Key Iowa
Life moves at an easier pace in Iowa, but the towns prove the state is not all cornfields and tractors. Small communities keep life simple while retaining their unique character. Pella keeps strong ties to its Dutch roots, Riverside embraces the quirkiness of being the birthplace of a fictional character, and Maquoketa and Iowa Falls show there is more to the state's terrain than flatlands. These towns make it possible to live the quiet life in Iowa and still keep life interesting.
